I am not offering any alarmism here but sensible awareness. We know that junk food is harmful to our diet, whether we grab some greasy cheeseburger on a road trip or the occasional sweet temptation such as the morning 700 calories donuts. But there are several other foods that we consume daily and potentially harmful to our health. Read on to discover the most popular in the category.
Wild mushrooms
Natural or organic, eating mushrooms picked outside in your back yard or gifted by your loyal friend may hide toxic elements. Wild mushrooms are responsible for more than 100 death per year. Often they resemble those purchase at a local supermarket, but with hidden poisonous features.
Elderberries
Popular in natural medicine with immune-boosting properties, elderberries can cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea when undercooked or underripe. Be careful when making the classic jam or the juice concoction you so much love.
Nutmeg
One of the most used ingredients in sweets and savory, a little nutmeg is pleasant to the taste, especially for cream sauces. But two to three teaspoons of nutmeg can turn the pleasantry into a lethality. The spice contains myristicin, a toxin associated with hallucination or possible death.
Tuna
Lots of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, but cautiously consumed. Tuna contains mercury, dangerous to the kidneys and nervous system. While still safe to eat, I recommend moderation and vigilant portion sizes.
Sushi
Probably one of America’s favorite take-out. The fish used hosts harmful parasites that enter your digestive system when eaten raw or semi-cooked. Raw fish carries salmonella and other unwanted bacterias. Trust your favorite sushi bar, and become friends with your sushi preparer even with an occasional monetary gratuity.
Baked potatoes
Another American favorite, rare-cooked steaks, and baked potatoes will potentially carry botulism and bacteria when not fully cooked. When you cook the potatoes, allow cooling in the presence of plenty of oxygen to prevent the bacteria from forming. Clostridium botulinum (Botulism) is resistant to heat and not killed during the cooking process.
Honey
Botulism can form on honey and bacteria spores when it goes through low processing stages from the original form—the reason why honey is not suggested to infants because their weaker immune system will not tolerate it. Use with caution and always purchase from a reliable source. Raw honey offers many advantages, but the processing has to comply with stringent steps. Here, again, reliability the key in the selection.
The # for the day: #beinquisitive
